BENOÎT PIOULARD, CINEMA VERITE, CHARLES STANYAN, PIONEER
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Bending and shifting like sounds of nature, the recordings of BenoÎt Pioulard—the alter ego of Portland artist Tom Meluch—pair his songwriting with a rich palette of ambient noise. His latest, Lasted, just came out on Kranky, and he plays a rare hometown show tonight. NED LANNAMANN
CANDY CLAWS, CHAIN GANG OF 1974, EUX AUTRES
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The bookworms of Fort Collins, Colorado, pop duo Candy Claws make records that can whisk you away from that crappy desk job, often taking you places you may have only read about in Hemingway novels. Inspired by Rachel Carson's book The Sea Around Us, 2009's In the Dream of the Sea Life is exactly that—a shimmering pop record that has plenty of unpredictable dark moments. Not surprisingly Candy Claws' latest Hidden Lands was inspired by another book, Richard M. Ketchum's The Secret Life of the Forest. The album title alone imbues exotic locales; the music within (headphones recommended) will guide you on your journey. Even when things are at their darkest, you can be sure sunlight is always around the corner. Dream pop, indeed. MARK LORE
The complete show listings can be viewed here.